Love In A Cage
by FujoshiFic
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya, sentenced to be caged behind bars. How will it be in the new environment? How it will change after meeting his red haired mate.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

_I was prepared for this_, or that was what I kept telling myself. I take a deep breath to keep my breathing steady as I sat on the chair trying to hold my leg that tapped continuously on the stupid floor. I was sitting inside a waiting room with no door, some folks were seating in the back, _Visiting?_ I didn't care. I look back at my phone for the time, I have been here for almost half an hour and I'm losing it, then how would it feel being _inside_?

A female officer comes and calls my name I follow her and another officer shows up on my left. I follow them into a narrow hallway I look back after walking a couple of steps and I see how far the entrance that we went through seem to get smaller by every step, I get startled by a heavy hand on my shoulder making me take a turn. I found myself a front a table with two trays on it and behind it two male officers holding in their hands some device, the one that is used in airports.

"Phone and electrical items put them _here_" said the female officer beside me pointing on the tray on my left "Accessories and any other personal belongings on the other tray." I nodded after she finished her sentence. I start taking off my rings I only wore two and only for style I didn't care if they get lost in this shitty place, I pull my phone out of my pocket I lift it up clicking the home button just to look at my wallpaper one more time. It was a picture of my little sister's hand holding a little seashell she found on the beach, I smiled remembering how much fun we had that day. "We don't have all day." Said one of the officers grumpily.

After that I was taken to a room, I had a finger scan for my finger print then I sat on a chair that is beside a desk with a fat guy with a half donut in hand, he finishes it fast and types something in the computer, _password? _He gets up for a second and sits back again for a better position. "Do you have any sickness or allergies?" he said looking at the computer. "Only asthma. " I look at him as he types the keyboard harshly with his fingers, which might end up giving me a headache. "Had any suicide problems before?" I answer with a no after giving him a look. "Alcoholic?" I shake my head at the question he asks me again with other questions which I all answered with a No. After that I sit and wait for him to finish typing my information to the system, I felt like my eardrums will explode.

Thankfully, It wasn't long till a male officer came and took me to a room with prisoner's uniforms the room also had another entrance to another room with no door the officer walks me in and it was an open shower; I looked up for a curtain? Or a thing to cover me as I shower and I look back at the officer. "Strip." He said and that was all I need to understand that this is how its going to be from now on, I stare at him then start to take off my top handing it to him and then taking of my jeans along with my boxers. He takes them in his hands and then watches me as I start showering. It felt weird being watched by a stranger as you shower but I tired to act as normal and clam as I can. After that I was given a long neck jacket and the orange uniform which was slightly big on me (showing my collar bones and I could almost trip on it) but I managed folding the sleeves and the end of the pants. They handed me a cup with a toothbrush, toothpaste and some sheets for my bed.

I ruffle my baby blue locks trying to dry them since I'm already freezing cold. I followed my shower officer, we walked and took a couple of turns all the walls looked the same I couldn't tell what time it is since I couldn't find any windows to tell if its nighttime yet or not. "Excuse me? What time is it now?" I asked my shower officer as we walked to the unknown next stop. He kept walking beside me then looked at his watch for a second and replied "_Seven Thirty_" he said not looking at me but at the hallway, it seemed like they avoided eye contact.

We walked till we reached a door and walked out of the building I was in, _so I still wasn't in prison?_ I felt the cold breeze against my face it, the jacket didn't have a hoodie so my face will freeze. I rode inside a prison van and it looked like I wasn't alone there, a guy with raven head who was a bit taller then me sitting inside looking bored as hell. I got inside and I could see two officers, one driving and the other was sitting on the front passenger seat and beside me was my shower officer.

The van was slightly warmer then the cold weather outside so at least I won't catch cold on my first day here I hope as I rubbed the inside of my hands together building a temperature to warm my frozen fingers. My eyes glanced at the raven boy beside me who looked at me with eyes widen like he finally noticed I was there, he grinned I didn't know if it was because I _scared_ him or was he smiling at _me_? He took out his hand hoping for a handshake as he introduced himself. "I'm Takao!" I wouldn't usually handshake any guy I meet but since we were both heading to the same place and seem to be staying there for a while, it wouldn't hurt to make friends. "I'm Kuroko." I said as I took his hand, it was warm. " Whoa! You're freezing!" He said putting now both of his hands around mine.

"Keep it down!" The officer who was sitting in the passenger seat said loudly startling both of us. Takao smiled and looked outside the window as it slowly started to snow. I look at the light pieces of ice and smile gently at them as they fall, the sight of the fallen snow and the silence that filled the van was relaxing enough to take me into deep sleep.

I hear the loud sound of the metal gate opening I blink before opening my eyes it was dark already I could say it was nine PM or even ten. My eyes scans the van again, Takao was asleep the officers were still on full alert. I glance from the corner of my eyes at the officer beside me then back at the road that the van was taking, were we there yet? Or is it another long way? I question myself, hugging the sheets in my hands closer to my chest.

We were driving in an empty road, I look around it seemed like we were in the middle of the woods or something. It was dark I couldn't see what was coming next, the road was dark and you could only see as far as the van's lights would reach.

I didn't know how long we drove in the same road, but it didn't last long till we reached the campus and of course entering a secure big gate. When it looked like the van was about to park I put my hand on Takao's shoulder lightly shaking him to wake him up " Takao... wake up we're here." I say trying to inform him to wake up. We were already parked and the officers started getting out of the vehicle. Takao mumbles half asleep I shake him a little harder " Inmates!" My shower officer calls as I look back seeing we were the only two still on the van. I look at Takao who was awake now rubbing his eye; I get out of the van and guarded by an officer. " Inmate! Out of the van now!" an officer barked at Takao who got out quickly freaked out by the mad officer. The officer clicked his tongue giving Takao a dark glare.

We walked into the prison it was plain beige looking building but still had some odd look to it, like the ones in the movies.

After a couple of turns in the building we walked through a door, my eyes widened as I look around and then up. It was all cells, four floors from down till up in the ceiling. I try to manage air to my lungs, gasping as I let the oxygen into my body, usually from the first gasp I would feel better but the air was hot and it smelled like they smoked which made my airways inflamed and harder for me to breathe. "Hey, you okay?" Takao said giving me a confused look I nod at him, feeling better when I felt my breath getting lighter.

We were taken to the metal stairs that were used to reach each floor. I was separated from Takao on the third floor; his cell was the second one beside the stairs. As for me I was on the fourth floor in the last cell, the one that is most far from the stairs. As we walked I saw all the prisoners in their cells, some were doing push ups and others sleeping but most of them where shouting to the other side and throwing threats at each other, it wasn't all threats they did say some jokes to each other.

When I reached my cell the officer clicked a button to open it. The cage's door slides open in a front of me the officer pushes me inside closing the cell's door immediately. My eyes study the cell; there was one chair and a desk with a couple of books on it. I look around the little tuna box that's called a cell and I see a metal toilet and a little sink beside it with a small mirror that reflects a blurry image. Looking at the bed bunks, my eyes spot a figure lying on the top bunk. _Is he reading a book?_ The book was covering his face but it didn't hide the short maroon hair locks.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

It was _quiet_; even though the sounds of the prisoners' chatters were in the background but still the silence didn't leave my cell. I settle the things they gave to me on the bed, finally being able to stretch my arms after holding them for a couple of hours.

I felt exhausted physically and mentally; my head felt heavy and my eyes felt like heated golf balls. I was too tired to even do my bed so I just fixed the sheets lazily on the mattress and promised myself to tidy them later. I walked to the sink with my cup in hand, I fill it half way with water then I use my toothbrush and toothpaste to brush my teeth. I got some cold water in my hands and splashed it on my face then again splashing my eyes so I can avoid the headache that I felt I might be getting soon.

Hearing a loud sound of a big metal handle being pushed down, It took me almost a second to realize that the lights went off, it was pitch black, everything was quiet and silence took over.

I lay down on the bed knowing my cellmate didn't move an inch, avoiding everything thought that rushed to my mind like what might happen now? Or how is it going to be like with officers everywhere? And what will happen tomorrow? I close my eyes forgetting everything that was on my mind; I let my body rest and surrender myself to the darkness of the cell.

I could hear that loud bell ringing sound; it was like school bells but louder, like it was ringing in the shell of my ear. I open my eyes and remember everything bit by bit, I wanted to go back to where I was in that peaceful place where I had nothing to worry about, I close my eyes wanting to fall back a sleep but the sound of the officer shouting coming closer to my cell didn't help.

I sat up from my bed and rubbed my eyes then I looked around the room again recalling how it looked. I stood up and my head hit the piece of metal that was attached to the top bunk, " Ouch..." I rub my forehead as I sit back on the bed, after it seemed better and I was fully awake I stood up again making sure my head didn't hit this time. I walk to the sink and start brushing my teeth, the mirror reflection wasn't good (or clear.) but it still showed the top bunk and my roommate wasn't there. I spit the toothpaste out of my mouth after brushing my teeth then wash the inside of my mouth with water, spitting the water out too.

Was everyone gone? Was I late? I say hurrying up and out of the cell that was open. Everyone was just getting out of their cells and they seem to be headed somewhere, I look at the cell beside me and they seemed to walk to the stairs and so I followed them.

We walked like we where in some school line or something, walking all together to the showers. We entered the bathroom and there was shower stalls, I thanked god for that 'cause the last thing I wanted to do now is shower openly around men. We walked inside the showers and got naked I think that was where we can relax because I saw the officers wait in some room with a transparent glass. I took off my clothes and grabbed a towel to cover my lower part with it, even though the closest stall was five seconds away I still didn't want to walk around with my junk all exposed.

As soon as I got inside the stall I took off my towel and hanged it on the stall door, I turned on the water and it was freezing every drop felt like little ice cubs nothing like water at all. I endured the little trip to the North Pole that's called a shower, I got of the shower noticed that my towel was stolen I hurry to the place I left my clothes and I get the extra towel that was there and dry my frozen body. My legs were _shaking_, I try to control them and to hold them in place but it doesn't help I just dry them and hurry to put my clothes back on.

I look around as I finished putting my clothes on, and I regretted that. All that was there was naked men, tattoos, scars and piercings in different places I rather not mention. But my eyes still caught the maroon colored hair but I wouldn't risk looking at the same sight just to check for a cellmate I would meet soon.

Right after the showers we were taken to the cafeteria, it was a basically the same one in every school but with officers on the doors. I head to the food line and pick up a tray and I wait for my food. After getting my breakfast that is two pieces of toast, some weird looking cheese and jam that smelled even weirder and finally some real good looking coffee.

I walk to the last table, which luckily happens to be empty and sit on the chair that is attached to the piece of furniture. I start eating my toast not even thinking of tasting any of the jam or cheese. I finished half of the toast and grabbed the hot cup of coffee lifting it to my mouth and surprisingly it _did _taste as good as it smelled.

My eyes scan the room as I take a slip from my coffee; some of the officers I saw before and some were my first time seeing them around. I notice some group of dudes looking at my direction I ignored them and looked at the stream raising from the hot coffee, suddenly feeling a hand on my shoulder I look around and I see the raven head smiling at me.

"Good morning!" he said giggling as he sat beside me I stare at him replying to his greeting and waiting for him to tell me what was up with him, and finally he cracks up.

"Dude!... Y-Your hair." He said as he laughed the laughter he's been was he holding, I touch my hair and try to fix it, since the freezing ice they call water here made it worse.

Takao was now catching his breath. "How could you not notice? The whole prison was looking at you." Takao said smiling " I bet your cellie was freaked out." He added.

I lightly smile at him as I shake my head and was about to explain that I didn't even meet the guy but was interrupted by an officer coming and telling me to get up. " What is it?" I ask as I stood from my place, obeying his wishes.

"Mr. Albert wants you in his office." I nodded not knowing who that guy is but since he had '_Mr_.' in his name, that meant he was important.

Takao gives me a thumps up for some reason, not caring any less I follow the officer to the 'Albert' guy's office.

We reach the office faster than I expected, the officer knocks on the door " Sir, the inmate you called for is here." He said his ear close to the door it was exactly five seconds till I heard a single knock and that's when the officer opens the office door for me.

I walk through the open door I see a desk with an old man (he looked fat but not that much) sitting behind it, black mustache, no beard and no hair just some on the sides. He nods his head like he is telling to sit down; I sit on the closest chair obeying his orders. He looks at the officer with a look that is like half glare or something, I couldn't tell since he didn't change his expression ever since I entered the room.

The officer left the room closing the door behind him and just as that happen the old man eyes where on me.

"Your name is Kuroko?" he says still staring at me.

"Yes sir", I nod.

"I see you won't be staying here for long…" he looks through some papers as he continued "But still fourteen months is still a good amount of time…will we be having any troubles with you?" he said looking at the papers then looks at me with his eyes as he asked, "No sir" I shake my head.

"Good, It says here you were a teacher?"

"I didn't start yet, but I will." I said looking back at him, I didn't care if he was going to joke about a teacher going to prison, I mean a _future_ teacher who's _in_ prison. I loved being with kids and I loved teaching, to help others and share information, I loved that and I was somehow great at it I used to tutor my cousins and my little sister, to see the smile on their faces, it was _beyond_ great.

He looked at me with a smirk, "Okay. Just make sure _they_ don't teach _you_ things."

"What do you mean?" I gave him a confused look.

"You are a great kid and you are pure but you'll see what I mean in those fourteen months." He said putting the papers back in their file.

"Sir?" I still didn't understand what he meant.

"I'm saying you won't get out from here _just_ the way you got in, some things will push you _down_ but you will have to stand up _again_ and try _not_ break. I don't want to have more files on my head." He said as he opened the drawer and put the file in it then pushed it back in it's place.

I sat there in place with my mind blank; does he mean the treatment of the prison? But he wouldn't say that about his own prison. Then did he mean the looks of the guys in here? Or what they did? I don't understand.

"You can leave, I'll have an officer take you to your cell." he said and he pushed a button calling some officer to come and take me.

"Sir, Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Why did you call me today?"

"Because I like to know my prisoners, if they're a good chicken or a dirty crow."

"What am I?"

"You're a baby chick." He said looking on the papers that were on the desk before I entered.

Before I get to think if I should reply or not, an officer comes in and takes me back to my cell.

We went through the same way we did when we wanted to reach the officer but this time we passed the cafeteria and when straight to where the cells were. We walked to my cell, he pushed me inside and locked the cell and went back to his duties.

I ignore my cellmate who had his face on the pillow, lying down on his stomach. I go lay on my own bed, take a breath and close my eyes.

"What are you doing up there?" I ask my celly whom I never got to see his face.

"You're the new guy, huh?" he said with his face still in the pillow. I glance at the desk that had a couple of books on it.

"You into French?" I say moving to the desk to check out the books, there were a French book and another English book and a couple more.

I hear the sound of the bed creaking then heavy footsteps, before I knew it he was a front of me hiding his books "Keep your voice down and don't touch my things!"

I take a step back and raise my both hands to the level of my face. "Okay, okay." he put his books on the one side on the desk and goes back to his bunk, I think I saw him blush with embarrassment now. I follow him, like two steps since the cell was as small as a dog's house.

"Why can't touch it?" I stare at him for an answer.

"Because they are mine." He said as he looking at me from the top bunk. He had red eyes, No not just any red, they were _dangerously_ red, it had some kinds aura, something that made me lost in them like I was in the _tiger's_ cage yet I didn't want to get out I wanted to be taken as a prey and it felt scary, yet somehow _safe_.

"Hey, you okay?" he said when I realized I stared at him for too long.

"Y-yeah, sorry", I say and go to lay down back on my own bunk and close my eyes.

I open my eyes, realizing that I fell slept. I hear the same bell ring I heard this morning but this time I heard an officer shouting "TO THE FIELD!" he had a rough tone to his voice.

I sat up from where I was lying then I let my feet feel the cool floor, it felt amazing against my warm feet. Before I could stand up I saw a huge figure getting down from the top bunk, it was my cellmate. He wore his jacket and walked out of the cell when it opened.

"H-Hey! Where are we going now?" I ask before he leaves the cell.

"Didn't you hear him? To field." He said looking at me from the corner of his eye, then he walked out of the cell. I take my jacket and wear it as I walk behind my maroon haired celly since we were keeping up with the line that all the prisoners took. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is chapter 3! enjoy!**

Chapter 3:

My eyes scanned the field; it had bleachers in both ends and a fence surrounding it, ground was hard and the grass was dead and frozen. The weather was cold with little breezes here and there; the sky was grey with no sun and only a cloud or two.

I zip my jacket up to my neck to keep my face from freezing and put both my hands in my jacket pockets. I take steps and walk into the field, it seemed like everyone was separated in groups but some were walking around with no destination, not like there is one.

I sit on the closest bench, it was cold but I endured it. I took out my hands exposing them to the cold weather but only for a second before I put them between my thighs so I can warm them up.

It wasn't seconds till I noticed the group of inmates coming forward to me with glares in their eyes. I looked up; I wasn't really ready to have a conversation with them.

"What is it?" I said answering their glares that they had been shooting me with.

"Get up!" one of them said, they were African Americans and they were mad.

"Why? What did I do?" I ask, still sitting in my place cause they had no right to move me from my place.

"He got some nerves, lets show him a thing or two!" The guy right a front of me said, I think he was the boss of the group or something. Before I could figure out what they wanted I received a punch in my jaw that made me hit the ground, which caused a more pain. The side of my face felt numb for a second before the real pain started to take effect, I didn't even get a chance to sit up and fix my jaw before I got a double kick in my stomach and right to my ribs.

I had my eyes shut to endure the pain, I coughed to what seemed to be blood and the more I coughed the more my jaw throbbed with pain making it hard and tormenting. My stomach soreness wasn't even helping I couldn't even stand let alone that I couldn't move.

A minute later, their laughs and nasty jokes stopped when I heard a couple of officers come running and shouting at the group of the inmates. I didn't care what they said I just wanted to get out of there and lay down somewhere better than this solid ground.

"Inmate, Can you stand?" I heard a rough voice to my ear. I open one of my eyes to take a peek, I try to sit up while still coughing some blood but I managed to balance myself on my knees with one hand holding my stomach and the other on the freezing ground so I can take a breath.

I heard the officers giving the guys an earful and cautioning them about whatever they do next. I managed to stand up, I pain in my stomach finally _half_ faded away but my jaw still hurt. I walked away from them after spitting some blood out of my mouth, and man it tasted bad.

I had my eyes locked on the ground of field not really feeling like making eye contact with anyone till I saw a figure jogging to me I look up to seek who it was, it was Takao.

"Man! What happened there? I should have warned you before! Sorry!" He said half smiling rubbing the back of his neck. I look aside telling it was fine then I look back at him. " Wait, how are you in the wrong? You just came here?" I said confused but not really sure if it showed on my face but I still didn't really care.

"Oh I didn't tell you? It's not my first time here." He smiled like it was nothing.

"Really? Wow." That was all I could say, all that come out of my injured mouth.

"Well, it's nothing! You would be surprised if you knew how many times some guys here come!" he said still with a smile on his face. I reply to him with a nod since I didn't want to talk any longer cause my jaw felt swollen.

Takao leaned down and picked a rock putting on my cheek I pull away and regret that since he pushed it harder on my cheek making me yelp in pain. " Don't move! This is good for your 'wound'!" he laughs as I try to push him away.

After that Takao took me to the 'right place' to sit down, or that was what he said. It was in the other bleachers at the front bench and told me that that bench I sat on belonged to the 'black dudes' that's what he called them and that I shouldn't ever take a step there. We talked and he told me everything about almost everyone in the prison and man did I feel like a girl at a gossip party or something.

"So you didn't tell me? Who's your cellmate?" he said for some reason smirking.

"Some guy with red hair." I said not really caring about the topic then I glance back at Takao who seemed to think into it.

"Why are so interested about it anyway?" I said looking at him when he looks back at me.

"You see this place isn't just some guys bitching about life or only doing their time. This is another world here, there are connections and needs," he said and I look at him still confused and hoping for a further explanation.

"I mean people here are like companies you have to make a deal with them to get what you want, you think they are standing in here without anything holding them, most of the guys here are addicts and they still are because they know were to get the drugs and which is the right place to get them, the same goes for the rest of them but only if you know who _you_ are and which side are you _in_. So to warp it all up, keep your friends _close_ and your enemy _closer_."

The bell rang and it was time for us to go back to our cells, we were taken back inside the building.

I hated the stairs in the prison and I hated that my cell was at the top, I had to walk all the way up and it was tiring and looking at the inmates was even worst, looking at them reminded me of where I was and that I was with them, I was _one of them_. Even though stealing a car wasn't much of a crime, it _still_ was one and would _still_ get punished.

I finally reached the top and walked to my cell as I looked at the cells on the other side, I noticed that the last two cells where empty.

Reaching my cell, the voice of the prison inmates dropped down a bit when I entered inside my cage. I didn't care to look at it again I just dropped on my bunk and relaxed my muscles, I had the time to remember this stupid match box and yes I was annoyed by how small it was. It felt like I didn't have enough space to breathe and reminded me of the feeling when your lungs couldn't inhale enough air inside it, it was _choking_, I felt like I needed to get out.

I always tried to keep those thoughts away from my head; I tried to not be negative not to _break_. It's only six months I will manage them to get out of here and go back to living my usual life in my apartment, outside those walls. My mother always said it wasn't my fault and not my place to be behind those walls, that I didn't do anything. But I still was there and nothing will change that.

I hear the bunk on top of mine creak as my cellmate moves on it I hear hum mumbling some words but they're were unclear since his voice was so low. I get out of bed to take a look at what he was doing, before I even get to look he hides whatever seems to be like a small address book under his pillow and shoots a glare at me with a 'What the hell are you looking at?' face.

I look at him one last glace before I walk to his desk and throw the books on the ground, I really didn't know why I did that but I just felt like pissing him off, maybe because I had too much energy unused or just I wanted some action to happen.

Anyway he still reacted to my act, he clicked his tongue then gave me a glare as he got off his bunk and he didn't need the little stair to get down, his long legs touched the ground and he managed to stand. That is when I regretted my stupid action, was he going to hit me now? Well I deserve it anyway. I closed my eyes shut waiting for whatever punch or kick that will come to my face. I felt him walk pass me, I open my eyes to find him collecting his books, he didn't do anything.

"You call yourself a teacher and treat books like this?"

I look at him slightly surprised about how he knew but I shook it off "Are not going to hit me?" I looked at him, he had his back turned at me when he finished picking his book and then turned around and looked at me. "You wanna be hit? Is that what you were trying to get with the black guys?" He said as his eyes checks out my bruised cheek making me unconsciously put my hand on it. "No. I mean you are not mad?" I say removing my hand off my cheek after realizing how stupid it looked.

"I am, but not enough to hit an injured dude." He said going back to his bunk and covering himself with the sheets.

**End chapter 3.**

**Review! Tell me what you think? seriously i need a review to know how to continue the story ;3! The next chapter will be out next weekend but if i lost hope on this story then god knows when.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the positive review it really made my day and made me continue this story and sorry if it's late I was in a writer block XP.**

Chapter 4:

I stare out of my cell and watch the other prisoners as they do their daily activities, some were threating each other but most of them were just chilling in there own cells, it wasn't that amusing and not like I was even searching for entertainment I just wanted to pass time so I walked back and lay on my bed. My cellmate was on his desk killing time as he read a book, _lucky him_.

He was wearing a light white T- shirt and the prison uniform's pants; he had his elbow resting on his table holding the book with his right hand and leaning his cheek on the other. I stayed laid down as I tried to take a look at the book cover, I felt like I have seen it before but my memory always failed me when it came to these things.

I stood up and walked toward my cellmate and tried to take a peek at the cover of the book but before I got a chance to read the name:

"GAAH!" my red haired celly freaked out when he realized my existence.

"I want to know the name of the book." I said as I look at him unblinkingly.

"You could've just asked!" he said still having that freaked out tone in his voice.

" I didn't want to bother you." I said honestly since he looked so into it.

"Jeez! Whatever." He said that as he clicked his tongue in irritation scratching the back of his head then putting the book on the desk, I grabbed it and took a look at the cover.

"I remember this." I spoke but it came out as a mutter.

"What?" he said.

"The guy dies at the end." I said.

"What? You bastard!" He insulted me as he grabbed the collar of my top and I silently look at him when I see him not making a move, he let go of me and just sits back on his chair.

"I'm sorry, I lied. He doesn't die." I say as I sit on my bunk and I hear him let out a sigh of relief.

"When did you read the book?" he asked me.

"A year ago, maybe." I reply and then silence fills the room again, I lay down again staring the wall of the cell.

"Here" I glance at my cellmate as he hands me a book while reading the pervious one, I move from the bunk and take the book from him as I pronounced a 'Thank You'.

I laid on my bunk as I opened the book I read the first page and then my eyes couldn't stop reading it been awhile since I have read a book and by the time I read the second page I was already sitting up for better light and pretty much taken by the plot of the story.

Interrupted by the bell as it rang so deafeningly I put the book on my bunk as I stood up from my place, the door of the cell slid open and it was time for lunch I predicted, walking out after my cellmate had almost rushed out of the cell.

We reached the cafeteria, just as in the morning I took my tray and waited in the line to get my meal, it was noisy with the loud roughly laughs of the prisoners.

I was finished collecting my meal, I held my try in my hands and walked to the empty table I sat on this morning. Before I could even reach it I heard a loud familiar voice calling me.

"Kuroko!" I turned around and recognized the certain raven head that was waving at me. "Come here." He said smiling.

I tried to balance my tray and myself as I walk to his table and I have to say the area between the tables was small but the giant bodies of the inmates took more space making it impossible to walk and avoid getting to make a rough contact with them.

I didn't know why Takao had to sit in the table at the end, I mean the noise and the chatters of the prisoners are louder there.

Anyway, I walk my way to my Takao's table and I see the inmates sitting in place and eating the meals as most of the food they eat comes out of their mouth as they talk and laugh, and man some of them _do_ know how to curse.

"That Bastard Akashi! I swear to god I'll make him beg under my feet! That son of a whore!" I heard those curses and swearing coming ahead of me, it happened all too fast I barely had time to look a front of me.

It seemed like I hit someone, and it was a _big_ someone. I was on the floor and so was my food, well half of it I guess since the rest was on the big guy's shirt. He didn't look pleased he was angry, so angry I could see his face heating up and a vein was about to snap in his forehead. I try to stand up and I do manage that thankfully.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking ahead. It's my fault." I said as I kneeled down to pick up my tray hoping he would just brush it off, but how much of idiot was I to think that way.

I feel a hand coming close to me but when I look up he pulls my collar and raises me up high, it did surprise me to see how he could managed it like I was a pillow.

I had a second and my eyes decided to use it and scan the view of the prison cafeteria, I look at Takao's table and he looked confused, or maybe shocked? I didn't know cause I looked back at the other table and I my maroon cellmate he was drinking from his cup of juice like it was his cup of whiskey but before he got to look at my direction, I blacked out.

I was knocked on the floor with my jaw feeling like shit and throbbing with pain, it was a matter of seconds before I felt that real pain in the back of my head, it seemed I hit something hard but before I could tell what was it, everything went black.

I heard the sounds and voices of everything around me but it started to get blurry everything slowly went to mute, I didn't know exactly what was happening or where it all went but then everything was dark and I was lost.

I slowly opened my eyes and my sight was blurry, I felt light headed but something held my head hugging it in place. My eyes spotted the ceiling and it was white, I knew I wasn't in my cell but for a minute there I though I was back home.

"You're awake, inmate?" Said an officer from the back; his voice was a bit echoic and low but I was still able to make it out.

"...", I was going to reply but I couldn't find my voice, I tried to stand up but I felt so light I was about to fall off the bed if it wasn't for the officer's who held me back up. I realized how fast my move was so I stayed laid down till the doctor came.

I sit up and I could tell I was in the infirmary; the doctor had blonde straight middle length hair and wore the white coat most doctor's wear.

"Are you okay now?", she said smiling kindly at me and I nod in reply and I could tell something was warped around my head. I let my fingers trace the piece of cloth and then I knew I hit my head into something.

"What happened to my head?", I asked.

"You don't remember?" The doctor said sounding concerned.

"No, I do remember I just want to know what my head hit." I explain.

"Oh, it was the edge of a chair but thankfully you didn't need a lot of stiches." She smiled and was a bit relieved nothing happened.

"Stiches? How many?" I ask.

"Only two." She said as she took out a pen like flash." Open your eyes widely for me." I did as she said and she flashes it to my eyes and moves it form side to side. She did more of those checks up and when I was ready to go she gave me a pill, which I took before leaving the infirmary with the officer.

I was, of course taken back to my cell and on my way there I god a glance at Takao's cell who gave me a smile and I think it was for encouragement. When I finally reach my cell I hear the officer beside me shout for someone to open my cell, which is _No.110_.

I see the door slid open and I walk inside as I hear it close back with a loud voice and here I was caged again, it wasn't right to say that cause I was actually caged from the moment I entered this place.

I take my steps into the cell; my eyes spot my cellmate who was on his bunk holding that little address book and another big book I glance at him then I lay on my bunk, I wanted to rest.

When I was about to fall asleep I hear my cellmate's voice. "Sorry about today, he didn't mean it he was just pissed off." I recall the guy and then after a minute to puzzle it all up I could see it that that guy was from my celly's table, but wait why is _he_ apologizing?

"It's okay, it was my fault for not being aware of my surroundings." I say.

"No, it's not you idiot." He said as he clicked his tongue and it was a moment of silence.

"What's your name?" I didn't want to end the conversation and I wanted to break the silence, plus I really didn't catch his name.

"Taiga." It was a moment before he replied but he still did.

"I'm Tetsuya." I told him my first name cause somehow I wanted him to know I was here.

"I know." He said.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"_I know", he answered._

I rested on my right side and read the book; I was having a headache yet I didn't want to stop reading, I wouldn't call it reading since I was only looking at words without joining them together and having my brain figure out what it is. The page was blurry and the words were vibrating, my head felt light and as if all the weight went to my eyelids, which were giving up on me now before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

When I woke up again it didn't feel like I slept at all, it was like I had my eyes open through it all. My eyes were burning like hell and I could barely open them, the bottom of the top bunk was the first thing my vision caught.

I was still laying down on my bunk, my head was still light but it at least had a slight weigh that held it in place, I didn't want to move at all, I wanted to stay in my position not move a single muscle in my body. I still wasn't used to being in prison and I could tell you how sure I was of that; when I first woke up, for a second there before the sounds and voices intrude, I thought I was at my own bed, at home, in my room.

I sat up and the sudden movement made my head unsteady for a moment, I looked back at my pillow, which now had a small stain of blood on the white plain cover. I touched the back of my head, where the wound was, and around the cloth searching for the outflow and I eventually found it. I stripped the cover from my pillow and walked to the metal sink to wash it. I let the ice-cold water wash away the blood as it had my fingertips numb and almost frostbit by it.

I notice Taiga, who was sitting on the desk again, holding two books beside each other and that little address book open, that had a lot of words and sentences filling every page, it seems he was reading from all of them. I decided I should mind my business before he really loses his tempter with me.

I squeeze the water out of the pillow cover and it fortunately didn't leave that much of a visible stain. I made sure it dried up and I hanged on the bunk stair, it reminded me a lot when I used to do laundry with my little sister and how she always asked me where do the little drops of water that hide in the clothes go. I smile as look at the cover and remember how I explained it all to her little innocent self, I wonder what she thinks of me now, and did my parents even tell her I was in prison?

"Do you mind me hanging this here?" I asked him.

He glanced at me, "No." Then he goes back to his books.

I sat on my bed and I touched the back of my head and I could feel the blood accumulated on the bandaged wound. I look at the sink, which was four feet away from the bunk, and Taiga's desk that was almost right beside it. I concentrate back at my injury and start to scratch it, at first I didn't feel anything, then I felt warm liquid on my hand. I look at it and it's blood. I stood up from the bed so I can wash my head and stop the bleeding before it's too late.

I loosen the cloth that was circled around my head, roll half of it and then soaked it with the iced water. I let the other half of the cloth dry so I clean the wound after. I take the dripping rag; squeeze some water out of it, than place it on the wound.

"Your nerves will freeze, y' know."

I look at my left side where the voice came from a certain crimson head. I take the cloth off my wound for some reason.

"Actually, that won't happen unless they're under a very low temperature and if it's for more than three minutes." I reply, somehow a little eager for a conversation, but not really seeming like it.

He stares at me for a spilt of a second then just turns around mutter something I didn't catch.

I watch his back as it slowly moves while he settles in his chair, I didn't want to end the talk there, and I want to hear more. I put the wet cloth back on my wound then take it off and see that the bleed has stopped since there is no trace of a new stain in the cloth. I clean the back of my head with the dry half, just to check if it really stopped.

I held the wet rolled part in my hand and fist it watching the water ooze from between my fingers and the sides of my hand. I felt like an idiot, I let myself just talk all smart and made the guy think I'm some rude kid. But that really wasn't that case, if I'm going to be stuck here for sometime the last thing I need is enemies.

"Hey, sorry for being rude just now.." The words felt foreign coming out of my mouth, this guy wasn't my friend or anything and it was weird to talk to him casually like that.

"You weren't." he said not stopping what he was doing, " You were stupid." He said calmly as he turned the next page.

"What?" The respond came out normally without even me realizing it.

"If it was some other john he would have smacked you in that brain of yours." He replied carelessly, still with his back facing me. "You shouldn't do that," He said turning around to look at me with a cold face, " or else you would get more than a fat cheek and bloody head." He watched my expression for what felt like a full minute.

"You can flush that down the toilet." He said pointing out to the wet slightly bloodstained cloth that I held in my hand.

**(Important Note: I just realized that if you were to be put in prison your sentence is suppose to be more than a year. And as you readers are aware, Kuroko's sentence is 6 months so I changed it to 14 months. There isn't any major plot change.)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

I could hear the rap music coming from a radio down in one of the cells and a couple of inmates singing along, it was loud.

My head throbbed again and I'm really not sure if it was the wound or my headache, or _both_. I move to lie on my left side and face the wall that my bed was stuck to. I wanted _nothing_. I wanted to close my eyes and sleep but that wasn't a choice, even if it was I wouldn't take it. Every time I surrendered myself to the serenity of sleep, it's like a little hole to escape this hell, but as soon as I wake up it's like the nightmare never left.

I've wondered endlessly about my parents, they must be devastated. They never wanted me to be a teacher, let alone a prisoner. They always guided me to what was better and expected the best from me, but to have a criminal record in my file was the last thing they would've expected. I bet my dad is trying to hold up and keep everything together, and mom must be avoiding the whole neighborhood. And did they tell _her_? What lie could they have given her? My sister was still four; she would believe anything they tell her. By now she must be still playing outside with that squeaking bike of hers, I should've fixed it and saved the ears of millions.

I felt my heart ache in my chest. I took a breath letting the cold frosty air find its way to my lungs and before I could let it out I coughed roughly piercing an airway inside my lungs causing me to almost suffocate myself from the couple of coughs that hit me later.

The temperature inside the prison was extremely low, or so it got. It seems like that they've got a problem with the heating and I guess the weather outside doesn't really help. It was hard to deal with since I didn't get my inhaler yet; I guess I'll just have to deal with the coughing for now.

I arch my neck behind to glance at Taiga who was sitting on the chair and holding the book with one hand as the other rested on the table of the cell. There was a paper on the desk and a pen; actually it was the only ink pipe and the ballpoint needle. I guess they don't allow a whole pen in prison.

Suddenly, we hear the loud earsplitting noise of the prison bell ringing and it wasn't ten seconds before all the cell doors automatically slide open. I sit up and look outside of my cell in confusion,_ what would it be now?_ All of the cells are now open and convicts are walking out of them. I notice a movement behind me and look around and it's Taiga. He was fixing his things and about to get out.

"Where are we going?" I unconsciously let the question come out my mouth, hungry for an answer.

"Out for Association." He answers me and then leaves the cell like it was something natural to expect. I sit there for a second and then walk out of the cell and there I see the inmates are congregating in the ground floor. _So, it's a walk out of the cage. _

I walk to the stairs and I really never noticed how _bad_ this place smelled until now. I find my way down the stairs pretty fast and try not to pump into anyone; the last thing I want was to get another bruise. I reached the bottom and I see the inmates walk around, some were talking and others were ganging in cells.

I walk around and I can't believe how luxurious walking straight ahead for more than five-foot felt like. Surprisingly the ground floor was warmer than the others and it felt good to feel some heat around even if it was one degree higher. The ground floor has six cells on each of the two sides, unlike like the upper floors that have four. As I pace the ground, I get a glance at the insides of the cells and they were a mess. I was slightly surprised by the fact that other cells aren't neat, but then I shouldn't. There were porn posters stuck on the inside walls of the cell and some small pictures which I assume are family photos.

I explore the place some more and I see there were about three phones and a queue of inmates in every one of them. I was a bit surprised to see the phones, I never though there would be a connection to the outside, or maybe I was just too taken away by all of this I actually forgot we are allowed to call and such. Somehow, even if it was for a little bit, I felt like it was a small hole to peek through and behind those walls. I wanted to call my parents, but the long line of inmates made it impossible to get a chance to call before the association time ends.

I look around and at the inmates I recognized some from the yard but I'm not sure if it's the same guys. The more I look around the more I think I shouldn't get involved with some of them. It was always better not to get involved.

I take more steps ahead and see Taiga standing and talking to a group of guys, it seems they're having fun. I couldn't tell what any of them were saying; I mean I can understand the languages, at least some of them, but I didn't catch up a lot with the accent and the prison vocabulary that is used in the sentences. Taiga looked to face me for a second before talking back to the inmates.

A minute later I see Takao by my side greets me and is grinning for some reason. _He must be a really cheerful guy to smile this much in a place like this_.

"How're you in?" He asks.

"I don't really know." I say honestly as I look at him and realize he is smirking.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." He pats my shoulder.

"Come, I'll show you my cell." Takao walks and I follow him to a cell far behind in the ground floor, it was on the opposite side of door which we went through when we first came here. When we come inside the cell I could tell the smell is no better but I don't say anything.

"What do ya think? Nice, huh?" Takao smiles showing off a regular cell and I look around for the reason of his enthusiasm. He realized I didn't get it and just speaks up.

"I got a single cell dude!" Takao explains sitting on his bed.

"They changed your cell?" I asked a bit confused.

"Yeah, it's better than the last prison I went to." He said looking around like scanning it and happy about his catch.

"Last prison?"

"Didn't tell ya? It's my second time." He said it so casually.

"Oh." It was the only thing I let out since I really didn't know what to say to that.

Takao and I chat in the cell and from what I learn from him he was first arrested for armed robbery and was sentenced for five years but it was later reduced to three years. I asked him what he was in for now and told me he was in for the same thing but it seems he will be serving the full five years because of his previous record. He laughed and I really didn't know what to react so I didn't.

We talked a bit more and he told me that the association hour was really just forty-five minutes and I shouldn't waste it in his cell so he leaves and I go back to discovering the rest of the ground floor.

I look at the phone queues and one of them had about four inmates so I went and took a place behind and waited for my turn. I wanted to talk to my parents and hear from them, but I somehow doubted the idea. A part of me says it will only pull the trigger of making me realize how that I really am stuck here, and it's going to be for a long time. But I still wanted to talk to them, wanted to tell them I'm okay.

The line moved and two inmates were done. There was only one guy left before me and it seems that whoever he was calling didn't pick up he cursed and walked out of the line.

I now had the phone in my use, but I didn't know _how_ to use it. I try and dial my parents' number then hold the black old-fashioned phone handle to my ear and I hear nothing. The phone didn't work then I glance at the inmate beside me and he had, what seemed to be, a phone card.

"Move off if you ain't callin' nobody." The man behind me almost threatened.

I decide to leave the phone but before I get to put back the phone handle I look to my side and notice a stout guy handing me a phone card. He had two full sleeve tattoos on his arms and the word 'Hate' spelled on the four fingers of his right hand. I look up and noticed he's looking at me with no certain expression.

"It's fine, thank you." I say to him but he doesn't change position or move a muscle. It felt like forever, I moved out the line and just when I was about to walk away from the bulky man, someone speaks up.

"_Take it_."

The voice almost echoed. It was so quiet, or maybe just where I stood. I looked back and I noticed someone standing in the corner behind the guy who offered the card. He was red haired, not like Taiga's, it was bright red. His eyes, if my sight didn't betray me, almost illuminated like a transparent light orange-colored pearls. I somehow felt a vicious aura behind it.

"No, Thank you." I managed to get out the words and walked away not really knowing where but just away. I felt most eyes on me but above of all I felt a really heavy stare that I could almost sense it right behind me.

As I paced away from the scene, I felt the air lightened up, I finally let out the breath I unconsciously held. I look at the spot where Taiga was standing, and he wasn't there.

"What happened there?" I look to my side and it's Takao. I take some easy breaths but don't answer his question and look back at the scene place.

"…Who's that?" I ask and he gives in, forgetting the fact he actually asked something and answers me.

"_That _is Akashi," Takao glances at the guy, "He just got out of the hole today."

"The _hole_?" I asked confused.

"Solitary." Takao explains the odd name. "He was in for a week," Takao looked at me. "Shortest time anyone would get in there is three weeks," Takao raised three fingers, "But the bastard got his ways around."

I look at the phones queues and Akashi wasn't there anymore.

"Takao-"

Before I got to finish my sentence the loud ring of the prison bell interrupted our conversation. Association time ended. The officers start telling the inmates back to their cells and when I look back at Takao he already went and waved at me.

I walk up the stairs and everyone is walking slowly to get at least an extra minute out of the cell before they are locked in for god knows how many hours.

As we stop by every floor the inmates go to their cells and the stairs get less crowded. Finally when I reach my floor I notice that I'm the only one on my floor that is out of his cells, the others are already in from before the bell. I walk to my cell and before I reach it the cell doors automatically slide shut. I'm locked out of my cell.

I see Taiga on the bed; I mean I could only see his back since he was facing the wall. '_I guess he's sleeping.' _

I didn't know what to do and before I got a chance to think of something an officer approaches me.

"_What in _the_ hell are you doing?_"

* * *

**Review now or else I won't update next week.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

I sit up to look at Tetsuya who is getting shouted at by that damn CO (Correctional Officer). _He really can't talk without fuckin' shouting that damn Chapman. _I look at the idiot there who's standing stunned only allowing the lecture to continue on.

_God, I don't think this guy is surviving this. He fucked up shit in a day worse than what a newbie would do in a month._ _Screw that, this dude has no fucking idea what he is doing here, treating this place like a summer camp ever since this morning.._

**[Recap from Taiga's POV]**

I woke up with the worse headache since those Nigerians dudes couldn't shut the _fuck_ up and kept going and the damn argument all night. It wasn't a minute till I heard the bell ring and the cells open. I got off bed wanting to catch the shower before I keep waiting on line.

I take my towel and glance at my cellmate who finally came last night. I've heard the officer's talking about him; _he seriously looks like he should be in juvenile or something._ I get out of my cell before I get to hear those freakin' officers starting to wake up the rest.

I finished my shower by the time the next patch came. I talk to Chris about if he's ready for my revenge in the court; I'm definitely going to win. "Don't be so sure of yourself Taiga." He replies. We joke around and then leave after the changing room crowded up.

I move and we are all taken to have lunch. When will they actually get proper food? I notice the guys in my table start to laugh and make lame ass jokes about some dude walking with hair like a 'tornado' (their words). One of the reasons I never like to talk while eating. I look at whom they're talking about and try not to snort. _Did he even look at himself in the mirror? _

Lunch ended, we are taken back to our cells. My new cellmate didn't arrive and they closed the cell doors. I pick up one of the books that are due tomorrow and try to finish them before they kick my ass in the library.

I read two chapters then my eyes start to sting, I guess it's some allergy; I put my face in the hard pillow and relax my eyes for a minute.

I hear the cell door open, but I don't move. Just listen. The doors shut again then I hear the faint steps that are taken to the lower bunk.

"What are you doing up there?" He said. _Didn't look so social, did you?_

"You're the new guy, huh?" I lazily reply to him with my head still in he pillow. _Goddamn I didn't feel like starting a conversation._

I hear his feet take a couple of steps and I feel danger but it doesn't hit the trigger till he comes too close. "You're into French?"

I jump from the bed and stood as a wall between him and my desk. I tell him to keep his bloody voice. I haven't had a cellmate in a year and I forgot how it feels,_ I mean are they that nosy?!_

He backs off. "I can't touch it?" _He is an idiot._

I reply like a child who doesn't want to share his toys. I find him staring at me with no exact expression.

"Are you okay?" I ask and he brushes it off and goes to his bunk.

Later on, I sit and read till I'm at the last five chapters, and then the bell rang. It was time for the yard, as it is named by inmates and sometimes as 'field' by COs. That fucking Chapman comes shouting for us to head to the yard I jump off the bunk.

"Hey! Where are we going now?" Tetsuya asks.

"Didn't you hear him? To the 'field'. I answer and then leave.

We head to the yard and it seems Chris will be losing. We play two rounds before taking a break.

"When you get outta here, you better go become a professional basketball player, dude ya' got the talent!" The guys around me start talking and I'm barely listening.

Suddenly we witness a fight and some black dudes are hitting that idiot from my cell. He really can't learn. The COs come to stop the fight and we are later put back inside.

I sit on my bunk and take out my small notebook and start to revise some words. Yes, as embarrassing as it is for a twenty-seven year old man not to know some difficult academic words, I didn't really go to collage so I'm starting to learn some words and make a use of my time here. Plus, since French was, as most have said, _easy_ I decided to learn it too.

I suddenly see Tetsuya creeping to look at me and I hurry to throw my notebook anywhere before he sees it and give him a hint, more of a glare, so he can fuck off. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do 'cause that piece of fuck fired back. He went and threw my books on the ground. I could have beat the shit out off him, like most inmates would do, and get a report written on me and maybe adding days to my sentence _but I didn't._ That dude must be frustrated from the beating he got so I guess I should cut him some slack.

"You call yourself a teacher and treat books like this?"

I go and pick up my mistreated books and put them back on the desk.

"Are you not going to hit me?" I couldn't believe how much of an idiot he is.

"You wanna be hit? Is that what you were trying to get with the black guys?" I look at his banged face. _Don't tell me he is one of those creeps who like to get hit to release stress?_

"No, I mean you are not mad?" he said it like a kid who just broke a rule and their parents didn't punish them.

"I am, but not enough to hit an injured dude." I leave him before I get a headache and go to my bunk for a nap to kill time.

We were locked up again for four hours before lunch. I'm reading the two last chapters of this novel and I swear to god the uncle is just being a total pussy, I mean go ahead and open the door. I continue to read the paragraph, I really enjoy this author's writing it's really simple and straight forward even the explanations are not that detailed yet you get what he means.

As I was about to reach the end of the page I notice a presence behind my book.

"GAAH!" I almost scream. It was Tetsuya. I swear the cell felt empty for over an hour, _like he was never here._

"I want to know the name of the book." He said, again, not showing an expression. It's like he doesn't use his face muscles.

"You could've asked!" I said pretty much still shaken.

"I didn't want to bother you."

"Jeez! Whatever." I said, not really wanting to continue the senseless argument and put the book on the desk for him to take. He takes the book and then mutters something I don't catch. "What?"

"The guy dies in the end." He said out of the blue,

"What? You bastard." I let my words take a piece of my anger then my body just reacts to my feelings. I grabbed his shirt from the collar, which is a move my body came used to by the time I spent here. I sighed and let go of him sitting back on my chair. I cool down then ask him when did he read the book.

"About a year ago, I guess." He said and I couldn't read his face. When the conversation, if this were to be called one, is just fruitless he leaves to lay down on his bunk.

I felt bad for the guy, first day in this place plus he was beaten well. I take one of the books, a novel, and hand it to him, which he comes and takes. It will help him kill time, that's what it did to me.

Later on, the bell rings and I get out for lunch, _man I was hungry_. I find a table. Take a tray. Get the food and eat while holding zero conversations. Lunch went on good, for the first couple of minutes at least. Suddenly I guy from my table, a friend's friend, stands up and it seems the chat they had had taken a wrong turn. He stands up, he was really angry. He walks and a minute later I see him raising Tetsuya up and about to throw a punch or something. _Fuck_.

It was a matter of seconds before the officers came and took my cellmate, who passed out _obviously_, to the infirmary. Then they took the big guy, someone will be locked up for while.

We were all later sent back to our cells. I start memorizing some vocabulary and writing some new words down. Tetsuya wasn't back till half an hour later and of course accompanied by a CO. He comes in with his head covered; _he must've hit his head bad._

He comes and falls to his bed. I hope he won't get suicidal here and even if he did, I wouldn't blame him _this hellhole is a nightmare._

"Sorry about today, he must have been pissed off." I try to make him feel better, or at least that he is still around _human_ _beings_ not monsters.

"It's okay, it was my fault." _Is he literally saying that?_ Now I know he won't survive not only the day, but also the whole fuckin' sentence if he kept blaming himself.

"What's your name?"

"Taiga."

"I'm Tetsuya." I_ know._

"I know." _I knew it days before you came._

After that the silence took over and I fell asleep. I woke up I don't know how many hours ago and I go reading to kill time. 'Cause here all you have is time. I later move to my desk so I can start writing meanings of some words.

"Do you mind if I hang this here?"

I notice again, for the second time today, that I'm not alone in my cell. I look at him, "No." I turn back to my 'studying'. I finish writing the last definition and I'm pretty glad I revised twenty verbs and learned about five new words, a fine accomplishment for this afternoon.

I hear the water open and then look to my side and there is Tetsuya putting the world's coldest water (yeah, I mean it.) on his fucked up head.

"Your nerves will freeze, y' know." It's a true; I read it in a medical book last week.

"Actually, that won't happen unless they're under a very low temperature and if it's for more than three minutes." A-know-it-all, isn't he?

"Dumb jerk." I mutter under my breath and go back to my business; this guy doesn't really get it. I try to ignore this and concentrate but when I finally do, he speaks up.

"Hey, sorry for being rude just now.."

"You weren't." I say, "You were stupid."

"What?" he stupidly asks.

"If it was some other john he would have smacked you in that brain of yours." I say as I close my book then look at him. "You shouldn't do that," I warn him, " or else you would get more than a fat cheek and bloody head." I look at him and he doesn't move any facial muscle, does this guy even have facial muscles or did they just die from his lack of damn expression?

"You can flush that down the toilet." I say, giving him a tip, before he piles them up under his bed like what most of the dudes here do.

Three hours later, I finish my 'learning' and start to finish the last chapter of the novel I'm reading so I can return it tomorrow. I copy down the words I don't understand in a paper I have on my desk so that I can search them in the dictionary later on.

I would say about ten minutes later I hear the prison bell ring for Association. I stand up and tidy my papers and books so I can head out. Before I got to step out of my cell, I am facing my cellmate question about where we're going.

"Out for Association." I answer his question and leave, it turns out I'm going to be his tour guide here.

I walk down to the ground floor and Chris greets me again. I'm being pulled to meet some guys who want to take me on in the court. I really didn't like taking matches with guys like that since they do it for bets on smokes and money, for me I really didn't smoke and I'm not playing for money. If I'll play, I want to do it with people who'll do it for the sport, not the prize.

"So what'cha say Taiga, wanna bring it on?" One of Chris's pals says, it was the first time I meet this guy and he needs to seriously get his teeth fixed before none will be left.

"Nah, I'm not really up for it."

"C'mon man! We wanna do this."

"I think my ankle still hurts from last week so maybe not." I say as I am too lazy to keep up this conversation, and I need him to stop spitting in my face.

One of the guys throws a lame joke and the rest of just crack up. _I really don't get them._ I look to my right and see Tetsuya walking around like a lost puppy. I look back to the conversation and the dude with the fucked up teeth starts telling this story about some guy who sold crack to a cop.

I sat with them some more and listen to their stories but I just lost interest later and got out of there.

I pace around and have a nice walk just to clear my mind; I liked to walk and just not to think of anything. If you ignore the entire hubbub from the cells and the inmates around you, it will feel like you aren't even _inside_ anymore. It was the little escape I created for myself.

I walk and then look to see Tetsuya talking to some huge dude. _Crap._ I sigh and then walk up the stairs, I just hope he will get out of this one without having to make a stop at the infirmary. I go back to my cell, there is only five minuets left of association anyway. It was always common for us who are in the last floor to get in before anyone, 'cause you end up stuck between the stinking inmates in the stairs and get harassed or hit (and the chances of that is high).

I get in my cell and pick up the book I was reading then jump in my bunk. I lay on my back and try to read the first paragraph but I just can't get my mind to reading. As I keep trying the bell rings and Association is over. I guess that was enough to kill my will to even read. I turn to face the wall then close my eyes and I try to fall asleep.

I suddenly wake up startled by the commotion of an officer, which I later recognize his voice, _Chapman_.

I sit up to look at my cellmate who is letting the one-sided fight go on with his poker expression.

Then Mr. Joseph (a CO I highly respect, 'cause other than the douchebags of COs around here, he actually treats us fairly. I heard he's a Muslim too) comes in the argument and explains to that _shit head_ that Tetsuya is new and his first day. But that doesn't cover it Chapman ends up giving Joseph a lecture about rules and discipline and that he shouldn't be light on inmates.

Finally when his speech ended, Tetsuya gets inside and is locked in.

The silence fills the room, I go back to trying to read my book and he just lay down back in his bunk.

Successfully, I actually get into the book and finish the last chapter. But what really pisses me off is that the spoiler that fuckin' shit had given me was true. _ That fuckin' idiot the uncle DID die in the end! _I glance from my bunk down to his ready to throw my anger at his face but get surprised when I see him peacefully asleep. He looked like he hasn't slept in years, _like he just gave in to it._

I sigh irritated about the fact that I don't feel like kicking his ass anymore. I shove the book under my pillow and try to get back to my nap that was interrupted earlier.

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**Sorry for the late chapter, I had food poisoning. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Taiga's POV :) **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

I lightly open my eyes and find myself laying down on my bunk, I almost felt paralyzed like I haven't moved in ages. But even with that, it was the best sleep I had ever since I came here. I felt so relaxed I didn't want to move and hoped to fall back to sleep, but of course luck isn't always on my side. If it were I wouldn't be here.

I sit up and then stand up to go to the sink and wash my face. I open the water and put my hand under the small cold stream that sends goose bumps all over my body. I recover from it and splash some water on my face to feel refreshed, which just ends up making feel really cold.

I dry my face with my sleeve and look at Taiga's bunk. _He's still sleeping. _I go and sit a front of my bunk with my back on the wall and my legs stretched till they can almost reach the bunk _(that's how small this cell is.) _I sit there and think of what Takao had said about that _Akashi_.

'That bastard got his way around'_ what did Takao mean by that?_ _Wait, why was that guy in solitary from the beginning?_ I keep thinking, as my curiosity only gets even greedier. Why did he even offer me the phone card? Don't tell me I'm a victim? All those questions keep increasing in my mind and I have no answer to any of them. I slowly start to scare myself. I then try to calm myself, nothing will happen I'm just overthinking all this because I'm locked in this box they call a cell and it's slowly driving me crazy.

Taiga sits up in his bunk, and only that action is enough to pull me from my hole of thought, and then he stretch up but is startled when he sees me sitting on the floor. Then he mutters something, a little complain I guess, and then I watch him walk to his desk and tidy things up swiftly.

"What do you know about Akashi?" I ask.

He looks at me with a face that is clearly confused by the fact that I know the guy; he then recovers from it and sits on his chair that he set up to face my way. "Some messed up creep." He said, "Why do you care?"

"Does he offer prisoners phone cards?"

"What?" Taiga must think I'm bluffing, "No, I don't know."

"Is it bad if I refused one?"

"Did you?" He said, "Wait, Why would _I_ know if it was bad? Why are you even asking all this?" I didn't know if he was annoying by the questions or just surprised.

"Both of you have red hair, I just assumed you might be related." I throw my lame theory on the table; I really didn't know why I said, even though it wasn't what I thought at all, that it's maybe 'cause I just feel like here it's safe to say crap like this, I'm not wasting anyone's time and if _I am_ I'm doing them a favor.

"What?" Taiga looks at me totally confused and about to have a melt down, I guess nobody told him that before. "Okay, you seriously got your head fucked up by this place," _so he does swear,_ "I'm Taiga Kagami and he's something Akashi, so we are _not _related." He sighs and then takes a notebook that had a pen in it. "And we don't have the same hair color."

"_Kagami-kun?"_ I faintly, _unconsciously_, speak his last name in Japanese. I haven't spoken that language in a while. I guess I wanted to try it like that.

He turns to look at me, like I clicked a button or something. "You speak Japanese?"

"Yes, it's my language actually, do you speak it?"

"Just a little, my mom was Japanese."

"My dad's Japanese but my mom's from UK."

"And you guys live in US?"

"Yeah," I smile, "an odd bunch, aren't we?" I stand up since my bottom is numb from the ground that is freezing. _They should really do something about the heaters._

"About Akashi," Taiga spoke, "Don't mess with him. He's not the guy who'd give you a beating and leave."

"What do you mean?" I say while still standing in place.

"Just don't get in his way." Taiga turns around and does what he does. I move to my bunk and lay down I could feel my back still cold from the ground and the heat that is slowly building between it and the sheets of the bunk. It felt warm. It wasn't long till my body is cold again and I had to cover myself with the thin prison sheets. I roll to my left and my nose is almost touching the cold cell wall that my bunk is glued to, even without really touching the wall I can still feel the slight icy waves on my nose.

_Should I worry about the fact that I declined the phone card?_ A stupid question to ask myself since I'm already worried about it. I didn't really know if rejecting the phone card was a bad move, _but wouldn't accepting it be worse? _ I mean what could have happened if I accepted it, he would've told me I owed them or something. Maybe it was for the best. _But what if things turned out bad? What if I offended them when I declined? _I fist my hand and look at my knuckles turn white, _I guess I'll have to face them._ I then let my hand open to put it over my mouth since I was about to cough. I turn the other way and start coughing with my hand blocking my mouth. I feel my throat burn and my lungs pierced. _It was awful._

I finally stop coughing and feel hesitated to take a breath assuming the cold air will harm my lungs. My body is shaking and I cover myself again with sheets to maintain myself.

"You alright?"

I let my face out of the sheets and look up. It's Taiga, _who else would it be?_ I gaze at him and nod then put my head on the pillow and sigh.

"I'm fine." I answer.

I needed to hold on a bit more, at least till they get my inhaler. I knew that this will be hard and that I needed to wait for-

My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the sound of the cell door sliding open. Somehow whenever the cell door opens an unexplainable excitement blooms in me. I sit up to see an officer, the one who comes for my rescue just hours ago when I was locked out but just ended up getting lectured too.

"Kagami, time for you to head to the library," he says as he holds a paper then looks at me, "Who haven't signed you somewhere yet so.."

"Put him in the library, we need someone there." Taiga speaks up. The officer looks into the papers for a while then nods his head, "Okay, you'll be put there for the time being."

I look at the officer then I glance at Taiga; I didn't know what was going on? Why were we going to the library? The officer leaves the cell and Taiga gets out and I follow.

We reach the prison library, which was surprisingly not so far, the place was small but there was a big gap between the bookcases, I assume it's so officers can have better look at what is going on. I look around and there are two wooden tables; each one had about four chairs and they were placed on the left side of the room.

Taiga takes a book cart then starts dragging it between the bookcases and starts to line them. I look around and there is an old man, an inmate obviously, who is sitting on one of the tables' chairs and reading a big dusty book. The library had like five other inmates other than Taiga and I.

"Hey, what am I suppose to do?" I whisper to Taiga, since the place is really quite.

"Yeah, right. Forgot about ya." He walks out of between the bookcases and walks to the old man on the table.

"Lucas," Taiga spoke and the man turned around, he had a light gray beard and bright blue eyes his face was wrinkled like he was sixty, "Got you a new guy."

"Really?" He looks at me, "Do you know how to count?"

I'm confused by the sudden question but answer anyway. "Yes."

"Good," he smiles, "Then you mark the new books." He looks at Taiga and nods then goes back to the book he was reading.

"Come." Taiga walks and I follow him to a pile of books and he hands me about fifteen. "Put those on the table there." I nod and walk to the empty table behind the one where 'Lucas' was reading on.

Taiga comes with another twenty, "Here," he gives me a paper with book titles, "I want you to mark them with the numbers so that they will have place in the shelves, if you don't understand anything just call me." He leaves to his cart and I'm here with a paper and books. _How am I supposed to mark them?_

"Taiga, how do I mark them?" I speak quietly since he is only five foot away. He sighs and gets a tape, paper and pen. He sits beside me, "I'm explaining this one time, so listen."

He starts to show me how to cut the paper, we aren't allowed to use scissors, and how and where to stick it on the book. Then he shows me the labels and numbers in the paper and explains what every one of them mean. 'N' stands for novels, 'L' stands for literature, 'S' is stands for study because there is a whole bookcase just for college books and such since inmates study for degrees. And he explains a lot more, like where to put it and which book goes in which bookcase.

"Got it?" He looks at me.

"Yes, thank you." I smile and he stands up from his chair to go and do what he does.

**Review, or else.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

After an hour in the library, we returned to our cells. I spent the last ten minutes in the library reading a book about bears, and to be honest it was the only time I felt entertained ever since I came here. Taiga later tells me that we actually get paid to help in the library, part of prison labor. That was good news till I figured out we only get paid like fourteen cents an hour; I didn't know what I expected.

I wash my face when I come in the cell, to freshen up; I wanted to take a shower so bad right now, but of course that won't happen till tomorrow morning. It was 8:04 PM and we will be locked up till the next morning, that's twelve hours. But I don't think I will feel all the twelve hours 'cause I will try and kill half of it by sleeping.

I sit on my bunk and open the book I borrowed from the library and start to read. I try to read and get into the book but I just can't. I seem to have failed all ways to concentrate. I stare and the cell wall I'm facing and let my mind have the pleasure of not thinking of anything.

_What do I have now?_

In this place, I would say emptiness that I have to fill. I don't have freedom, _yeah that is taken away of course_. I have less than quarter a dollar in my account. I haven't contacted any of the people I care about. I basically have nothing ever since I made that dumb mistake.

I think I never thought this with myself ever since I came here; I never spoke _why_ I was here.

I break my stare from the wall and look back to my book; I reached a part in my thoughts that I don't want to think of. The more I think of it, the more I feel helpless. I stand up and wash my face again; _I don't want to feel like this, I don't want to feel miserable. _

"Dude, stop washing your face."

I look and see Taiga, and surprisingly, he isn't angry or annoyed, or anything. "Does it bother you?" I say kind of confused.

"You've been getting water over my papers," I look at the papers on the desk and because of the very small distance between it and the sink, beads of water have reached the side of the papers. "I'm sorry," I dry my face with my sleeve, "I'll be more careful next time."

"Why are you washing your face anyway? It's almost below zero here." He asks.

"It helps me calm down." I say as I sit down in the space between the sink and the bunks.

"You don't seem angry to me."

I hold my knees to my chest and rest my chin on them. "I'm not necessary angry, just have a lot on my mind." I gaze at him from down where I sit. The ground is freezing but I don't want to get up.

"Whatever you have in mind," He picks up his pen and starts on a paper, "don't let it get to you."

Somehow, without even realizing it myself, those words were what I wanted to hear.

"How long have you been here?" I ask, wanting to continue the conversation.

"How long will you be here?" He throws a question back.

"Fourteen months" I reply, hoping he would answer my question.

"What are in for?" he asks, not facing me.

"Answer my question first." I demand. He glances and turns to face me.

"Four years and eight months." He answers. _Shit. _My eyes slightly widen and I fail to hide my reaction. I recover fast trying not to be rude. "Burglary." I answer his question. "What are _you_ in for?" I ask due curiosity.

He pauses for a minute then answers, "Armed Robbery"; he goes back to his paper like putting an end to the conversation.

"What time is it now?" I can read the mood, _he wants me to shut up,_ but I don't want to end it here.

"Two hours before lights off." He answers, not looking towards me and concentrated on the paper. I stand up and I feel my back and backside numb from the low temperature of the cell floor. I give up and go lay on the bunk.

I didn't sleep until two hours after the lights went out.

The morning came faster than expected, and just as noisier. The bell rang and we all went to the showers, luckily I didn't have my towel stolen but I didn't get to dry myself with it. Piece of advice, don't take your towel with you _to_ _the_ _shower_, it will eventually get wet. I didn't know what I was thinking when I did that.

We had breakfast and I heard Takao blabber for what felt like an hour but was ten minutes. But the great rich prison coffee kept me from getting a headache. We went back to our cells to be locked for about two hours before we have to get to the yard.

In my time in the cell I try and read the book I borrowed and successfully, thanks to great caffeine, I finish the first two chapters but before I got to end my third an officer slides open the cell to hand me my inhaler and phone card, plus a letter.

I thanked the officer, who just left without a word, and sat at my bunk as he closed the cell shut. I throw my card and inhaler aside and hurry to open the letter.

It was from my parents. I was never this excited to receive a letter ever since my university acceptance letter. I go ahead and open the letter but surprisingly the envelope was slightly tore on the side, it was already open.

"Why is my letter open?" I mutter to myself, maybe a little loud than a mutter.

"They tear them open to check for crack and money." Taiga replied from his chair with no movement following the words.

I stare at back at my letter in realization. _Oh._

I let myself think about that later and open the neatly folded letter inside and read it slowly to myself:

_Hello, I hope you are doing well? Your mother made me write this ten times to make sure its perfect. We really miss you here, Mei has been asking about you a lot. We told her you went to study abroad and that you were in a hurry. She is quite angry about how you didn't say 'Goodbye'. _

_We are sending you money, and did you receive your inhaler? Mei stuck some stickers on it. As for your mother, she is killing herself in the kitchen with all the stress baking she's doing. I tried to stop, but the muffins are amazing._

_It's not the same without you, son. Don't worry about us, we are doing fine. Mei's been waking up at night crying, same goes to your mom. We miss you. Try to call us anytime possible and we will visit soon. We will send letter to you as often as possible._

_(P.S: Mei drew a picture of you behind the letter.)_

I turn the letter around to see the back, and I see a deformed dinosaur with bright blue hair holding to what seems to be a Dore The Explorer bag.

I giggle at the drawing, it was just adorable. I turn to look at my father's handwriting and I feel my chest tightens,_ I missed them._

I put the letter under my bed, and move to look at my what I got. I take my inhaler and take a good air dose of that medicine; it felt chest lightening to have that finally. I look at my phone card and it had 20 units, I guess units are the balance of the card.

I lay down on my back and try to close my eyes but they won't. I feel delighted on the letter I got._ I need to call them as soon as possible._ I kept thinking on what I would say and what should I say, I didn't want to scare them with the harsh truth of being in a prison but I don't want them to worry too.

The bell rings and officers take us to the yard. But what I didn't know was how bad this day would turn out.

* * *

**Hello, I've been off this story for a really long while, believe it or not, this story, in my planning system, was suppose to end ten days ago (or at least before knb the anime ends) but as you see things didn't go well.**

**anyway, thanks to people who are and still reading this fic, you are just making me happy. **

**Please dont judge this chapter, i wrote the last 300 words and posted it early in the morning without proof reading so yeah. AND I PROMISE THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE BETTER. (trust me on this one) but you have to review or no.**


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